Episode 47:25th July 2011: Yuri Gagarin Statue in London

The 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s UK visit was marked by the unveiling of an aluminium statue of Gagarin, an exact copy of the one outside Lyubertsy Technical School number 10 where Gagarin started his training as a foundryman. The statue, a gift from the Russian federal space agency Roscosmos to the British Council, is located outside the British Council Offices in London but only for one year.

This episode is a collection of some of the speeches and my short interviews during the three events on 14th July. They were the unveiling of the statue in the morning, the lunchtime reception at the Russian Embassy and the evening reception back at the British council. So, in order of appearance here is a list of all the contributors in this episode

Unveiling of the statue ceremony was opened by

Martin Davidson, Chief Executive of the British Council

Vladimir Popovkin Head of Roscosmos (speaking in Russian but with a translator)

Nataliya Koroleva. Chief Designer Sergei Korolev’s daughter. Who gave me a gentle rebuke whilst looking through my book “Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester” and seeing a photograph of Wernher von Braun and Herman Oberth but not of her father!

The episode ends with Ambassador Yakovenko briefly recalling his recent meeting with the queen.

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[…] of England and the value of their contribution to modern society. Although he never met or saw Yuri Gagarin, he recounts his his personal memories of the the day the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin came to […]

[…] British Council near Trafalgar Square in London, one year ago today. The full story was covered in episode 47. At the time the British Council announced that the statue had planning permission restriction […]